Brothers and Sisters

Today’s Scripture:  And his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers are outside, asking for you." 33 And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." Mark 3:31-35

Reflection:  The significance of the text is often lost in the dispute concerning brothers and sisters of Jesus.

Why could the mother and brother of Jesus send for him? One probable reason could be that they were still dependent on him and shows Jesus to have been a responsible person who fulfilled his duty towards them.

But now he had a still greater task; that of inviting others into the true and real family to which he actually belonged.  All generation, beginning with that generation could now become part of the family of God.

Though we may not easily look at ourselves as brothers of Jesus and never as mothers yet the significant message that comes across is this: Jesus will look at us as brothers and sisters when we receive his word just as he did it once with Mary, receiving her as his mother and entered her womb when she received the word of God through the Angel Gabriel.

What is accepted by Jesus shouldn’t be rejected by men, for the sake of their own salvation they should accept all that Jesus said and did. 

Prayer:  Lord, Let me be united with all your believing children and accept them whom you accept, as my brothers and sisters and mother.

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